An Unexpected Visitor
by LilCrookshanks
Summary: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chaps. 1 & 2. This is my version of the chain of events following Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. I'm begining right where J.K.R. left off. I hope you guys like it! I will try to add more chapters soon.
1. An Unexpected Visitor

****

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Visitor

Not a sound could be heard late one August night on cozy little Privet Drive. What could possibly disturb the peaceful serenity of this quiet street--with its glowing street lamps bathing every house in soft, orange light. And the balmy breeze that swept gently on. Nothing. Nothing in the world was bothering the sleepy street. Especially_ Number Four_, Privet Drive. On the outside, this house was just as content as all the others, with its perfectly groomed grass and flowers. On the inside though, someone was stirring, someone was restless...

Fifteen-year-old Harry Potter sat wide awake at the kitchen table, hunched low over a newspaper and absent-mindedly drinking a cup of hot cocoa, which was now cold and somewhat forgotten. 

"...Dark Mark flashing in the sky everywhere..." "...a popular London restaurant blasted apart..." "...countless people injured, some dead..." "...searching for something..." "...muggles, very suspicious..." "...you-know-who still at large..." Harry muttered bits and pieces of the latest stories to himself, which were splashed all over the front page of the _Daily Prophet_. A photograph of the Dark Mark glittered ominously back at him from the paper. Harry's stomach lurched and he raked his fingers anxiously through his disheveled black hair.

Harry was so wrapped up in his paper that he did not hear the loud stumping footsteps that descended the stairs and drew nearer to him. Nor did he notice the late hour of the night (or early hour of the morning). 

In fact, he did not even notice that he was no longer alone, until he was jerked rudely out of his troubled thoughts by a less than welcome voice.

"Boy! What are you doing up at this hour?!" Demanded Uncle Vernon, his tired face awake enough to sneer at Harry with utmost dislike.

"Couldn't sleep," Harry muttered dully, recovering himself after having jumped a foot out of his chair and nearly spilling his cocoa on the floor.

"Well, perhaps you ought to try!" Spat Uncle Vernon, obviously thinking that Harry couldn't possibly be doing something sane (like reading the newspaper) at three o'clock in the morning. No, Vernon Dursley most likely thought he was up to some kind of no good, perhaps brewing up something nasty or plotting evil deeds.

"I _have_ tried, and I can't sleep!" Harry insisted defensively, "Who could sleep at a time like this?"

"A time like this?" Vernon repeated slowly, "what on Earth are you talking about boy!" Uncle Vernon's face was purpling in anger.

"All these things that are going on in the world!" Said Harry, raising his voice to match Uncle Vernon's and feeling his face getting hot with frustration and impatience. "All of these horrible, disgusting crimes and dark acts, and--"

"Oh what rubbish," Uncle Vernon said dismissively, with the air of someone who was flicking a speck of dirt off of his shoe. "Dark acts, horrible crimes...honestly!" His eyes glinted malevolently.

"No!" Said Harry, positively shouting by now. He stood up so suddenly that he bashed his knee under the table and was soon met with immense pain, but he ignored it. "I mean, the things that are happening in _my_ world!"

If Harry felt angry, that was nothing to the way Uncle Vernon looked. His now completely purple face contorted with a sick kind of fury. He glared at Harry though his tiny eyes and gritted his teeth. In a soft, deadly sort of voice he responded.

"I thought I told you never to mention this, this _anomaly_ in my house!" His quiet, barely controlled voice was shaking with suppressed rage. Harry said nothing and only glared spitefully, a mixture of emotions running through him including a dreadful longing to be with a family to whom his existence mattered. He suddenly thought of the Weasley's and their warm, happy home. Harry felt a sharp pang deep inside of him and thought he was going to be sick. The next moment though, he paid dearly for this brief lapse of concentration.

"Your world indeed!" Uncle Vernon spat as he snatched the paper out of Harry's hand, which was now somewhat crumpled from Harry's tight grip. Uncle Vernon jerked it open and began to mutter aloud as Harry had done earlier. 

"Muggles..._Dark_ Mark...Ministry of Ma--" He had almost done it, almost said the forbidden "M" word. This seemed to anger him even further. "The very idea, what _nonsense!_" With that he threw the paper into the kitchen wastebasket and turned back to Harry. 

Uncle Vernon's fat face was now inches from Harry's. Still standing up and with a defiant gleam in his brilliant green eyes, Harry stared back. "Go to bed," he told Harry slowly, in that same deadly voice he'd used earlier. 

Harry didn't move, but continued to glare at Uncle Vernon. "I'm warning you boy, one more mention of that utter _rubbish _in this house and you will be very, very sorry indeed!"

Harry stared at him for a moment longer, his green eyes full of bitterness and hatred for this man (and for his wife Petunia and their unbearable son Dudley) whom he was forced to recognize as family, though they were the furthest thing from a real family that Harry could imagine. At last, still inches from Uncle Vernon's face, Harry whispered, "I'm already sorry," in that same deadly tone, but with quite a lot more bitterness in it as well. With that he turned on his heel and stomped angrily up the stairs--after quickly snatching his crumpled-up Daily Prophet from the wastebasket, much to Uncle Vernon's dismay.

* * *

Harry, still quite upset and very awake, paced the length of his large bedroom. He raked his hands through his hair again and sat down tensely on the side of his bed. Harry's eyes wandered to his desk where among all of the spell books, quills and parchment, there were six birthday cards.

Well aware of the fact that Harry had never had a decent or even acknowledged birthday with the Dursley's, Harry's friends had risen to the occasion. The first card was from Ron Weasley, Harry's red-haired, freckled best friend. It pictured a scene from a Chudley Cannon's quidditch match.

Harry gazed at the photo on the card as a bludger went pelting by. Photos and paintings in the wizarding world of course, moved.

Yes, that's right, Harry was a wizard. He was a good one too. For the past four years Harry had attended and boarded at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he learned everything from potion making to charms to defense against the dark arts. Harry had never felt more at home anywhere (and especially with his despicable relatives) than he did at Hogwarts.

Next to Ron's card was one from Hermione Granger, Harry's other best friend. Hermione was a smart, somewhat bossy girl with long, bushy brown hair. She had charmed the jumping frog illustrations on her card to actually jump (and croak softly). Harry had to immediately find a way to stop the croaking as the Dursley's were starting to get very upset by the animal noises that came from his room--mainly from Hedwig, Harry's beautiful snowy owl.

The next card was from Hagrid, Hogwart's half-giant groundskeeper and "Magical Creatures" class instructor whom had been Harry's first friend really. The card featured a horrible monster of some sort that Hagrid most likely thought was cute and cuddly. 

Next to Hagrid's card was one from Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. This card had a picture of a huge black dog on the front, which strongly resembled Sirius in his animagous form. Harry was deeply comforted by the sight and felt as though someone was watching over him.

The last two cards were from Harry's co-champions in the Tri-Wizard Tournament from the previous school year. Fleur de la Cour had sent him a beautiful card with an equally beautiful message on the inside. Harry picked it up off of his desk and read it again, Fleur's voice coming into his head at once. 

"'Arry, I 'ope zat you 'ave a nice birthday and zat you are well. I will enjoy seeing you again zis school term. Dumbly-dorr 'as given me zee position of Madame Pomphrey's assistant in zee 'ospital wing. See you soon. Love, Fleur."

The last card was from Victor Krum and also pictured a flashy quidditch scene on the front. Harry was deeply touched by the last two cards, as he had formed a special kind of bond with the other two champions last year--especially after the death of Cedric Diggory, Hogwart's other champion. 

It still pained Harry to think about the events leading up to and following Cedric's death. It had been two months, but any amount time would not prevent the horrible scenes to be burned into his memory forever. Harry's thoughts jumped from event to event. The maze to the Tri-Wizard cup, the portkey, Cedric being killed by Wormtail, his conversation with Cedric's parents, seeing shadows of his own dead parents, Voldemort's re-birth. 

Harry shuddered. Voldemort...the name echoed unpleasantly in Harry's mind and he glanced automatically to the window. He often did this as if Voldemort's ugly head was waiting there behind the glass, staring in with those frightful red eyes. Harry brushed this thought aside immediately and scolded himself for even imagining it. 

The very idea was absurd, Voldemort didn't know where Harry was, how could he? Although Harry despised the Dursley's, he never forgot that he _was_ safe here. 

But where _was _Voldemort? Was he ultimately responsible for all of the strange and awful things that were going on lately? Harry thought this was probably true, since he knew that Voldemort had come back to power and was not yet defeated.

Harry stole a glance at his bedside table and noticed that the luminous numbers on his alarm clock now read 4:00 a.m. He didn't realize it had gotten so late. Sighing, Harry got up and set the crumpled Daily Prophet down next to Hedwig's large cage. He smiled a rare smile at the beautiful owl whose head was tucked snugly under her massive white wing. Hedwig rarely slept during the daytime anymore. With everything that had been going on, there was much more post than usual.

Harry turned to go back to his bed when he stopped dead in his tracks. Staring in at him from the window was a face, but it was definitely not Voldemort's. Harry gasped dumbfounded. His face broke into the first genuine smile he'd had in days. Harry hurried to open the window. The eyes behind it twinkled happily upon seeing Harry. They were the dark eyes of a shaggy black dog. A dog Harry knew all too well as Sirius Black.


	2. The Great Escape

****

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 2: The Great Escape

"Sirius!" Harry breathed, once he'd gotten the window open. "What are you doing here?" The dog, of course, did not respond but cocked his head as if trying to tell Harry something. At that, Harry looked past Sirius out the window in alarm. The great shaggy dog was perched carefully on a high bow of the tree outside Harry's window. The bow nearly reached the window, but not quite. 

Cottoning on to what Sirius was trying to do, Harry jumped out of the way just in time, as the dog took a running leap and landed inside Harry's room. If Harry hadn't been desperately trying to keep quiet, he would have applauded loudly. Sirius had leaped nearly six feet!

Once the dog was inside his room, Harry shut the window and drapes quickly, you could never be too sure these days who the spies were, and where. Harry turned back around and faced a the man who was his godfather. Sirius was tall, dark and much more handsome and healthy than he was the last time Harry had seen him. He must be eating better, Harry thought. 

Sirius grinned and strode towards Harry. He folded him into warm hug, a hug that made Harry feel as though all of his worries and fears were melting away from his heart. Harry shut his eyes. He wished the safe, comforting feeling in his mind could go on forever. Sirius was Harry's parent's best friend when they were alive and he was the closest thing to a real family Harry had ever known. 

At last they pulled apart and Harry, the first real smile to touch his face in days, burst out. "Are you going to tell me what you're doing here or what, Sirius?"

Sirius laughed heartily and then stopped suddenly, glancing at Harry's bedroom door. He brought his voice to a hoarse whisper. 

"What? Can't a guy come visit his Godson and 4 o' clock in the morning for no good reason?" He chuckled softly, his black eyes twinkling. Harry laughed too.

"Oh, come on Sirius, what's up?" Harry searched the lines in Sirius' weary face. He looked into those black eyes with a puzzled, but happy expression. Sirius stopped smiling and his face became very grave. 

"Harry, I've come to take you away, it's not safe for you here anymore." Harry looked up, alarmed. But, it was always safe here. Dumbledore always told him that he was safest at the Dursleys', what could possibly be different? It's not that Harry strongly objected from being separated from his relatives, but this news did make him feel uneasy. 

"What's going on with the Dursleys?" Harry finally asked, after he'd found his voice again. 

"It's nothing to do with them Harry, well not yet at least," began Sirius. "I've received word from a few different sources that there have been spies on Privet Drive for the past week or so. I was sent to remove you from this place at once and take you to a place where you can be well protected. The Dursleys would be no match for a Death Eater, or worse, Voldemort in the event of an attack."

"That's probably true," said Harry, picturing big, powerful Vernon Dursley facing a death eater. He'd either cower in fear, or scoff and demand that the intruder remove his 'silly costume.' Then, the Death Eater would most likely blast his house apart. Harry shuddered at the thought. Although, if this wasn't such a dreadful time, he might have been amused by that image. "Where are we going?" he asked excitedly, shaking himself out of his reverie, "The Weasleys'?"

Sirius shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid it's no safer there than it is here, Harry," he said. "With Arthur's and Percy's involvement in the Ministry, that family is very public. Although, it's not the way they wish it to be."

Harry gasped. "But, they--they're alright!" he half exclaimed, half demanded. "I mean, Ron, the twins, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Percy, Ginny (he blushed at the last one), they're all okay aren't they?"

Sirius nodded, "They're okay for now. Not too popular with the death eaters, since they're so obviously against the dark side, but they've got Mad Eye Moody--healthy and well once again, but more paranoid than ever--backing them up. Nobody would try to attack them just yet. But, if you were there?" Sirius laughed nervously, "well, it would create quite a different chemistry Harry, you're sort of, how should I say this? You're Voldemort's 'bait' for the Death Eaters."

Harry shuddered violently. He looked around in a panic and stared back at Sirius with a wild look of fear in his green eyes. "Let's go then! As soon as possible. I'll dress and pack my stuff." Then Harry paused, "You still haven't told me where we're going," and as an afterthought, he added, "how are we getting there?!"

Sirius grinned again and pulled out a sack of floo powder, "Think the Dursley's would mind if we borrowed their fireplace for a bit?" He winked at Harry. Harry laughed, remembering last years incident with the Dursleys' boarded-up fireplace. Mr. Weasley had of course fixed it for them after it had been blasted apart. But, he hadn't boarded it back up and the Dursleys', too afraid to change anything a wizard did, had left it as is.

Harry packed as quickly and as quietly as he could, while Sirius stole silently downstairs. A few moments later Harry heaved his heavy trunk full of everything in the world he owned downstairs. He also had in one hand the large cage that housed Hedwig. The snowy owl was now wide awake but seemed to understand the importance of silence. She also had a fearful look in her immense amber eyes, which told Harry that his intelligent owl was somewhat aware of the latest happenings of the world.

When Harry finally arrived downstairs, Sirius glanced outside and took heed of the freshly dawning sky which was slate grey, shot with pink and gold. He nervously whispered to Harry, "We'd better be on our way then, before the birds outside get any louder." This was true, although he'd just gone back to bed, Uncle Vernon would be up shortly and so would the rest of the family. Best not to avoid a confrontation.

Harry's heart pounded as he grew more and more aware of the steady tick of the Grandfather clock which stood near the fireplace into which they were about to make their escape. The slim golden hand ticked by and seemed to get louder and louder. _But that's silly _Harry told himself, _it's just your nerves, really. _

"Well then," Harry said finally, glancing nervously over his shoulder then back at Sirius, "you first." Sirius took a pinch of the floo powder from the small pouch in his hand and threw it into the merry flames. The fire blazed and flashed, brilliantly green. Sirius stepped slowly into the flames and was just about to shout his destination, when he fell over and tumbled out of the fireplace and onto the hearth in surpirse.

Harry whipped his head around at the same time and was met by a most unfriendly sight. The Dursleys were standing at the foot to the stairs, their mouths hanging open in shock. It had been Aunt Petunia's blood-chilling shriek that startled Harry and Sirius. For a moment, the five of them just stood there and stared at each other, from across the room. Uncle Vernon looked positively livid, his face growing more purple by the second. Aunt Petunia was as white as a ghost, trembling and hiding behind Vernon. Dudley, Harry's unbearable cousin was hiding both his mother and his father, as he was now very fat and bigger even than Uncle Vernon, though, not as tall. 

Then suddenly, the worst thing that could have possibly happened, happened. Uncle Vernon _recognized_ Sirius Black. "Petunia! It's that escaped convict we saw on the news two years ago--the one they never found!" He glared at Harry with a mixture of fear and hatred. "What were you thinking letting him in the house, boy?!" Uncle Vernon raged. 

Harry, completely at a loss for words, just shrugged and looked helplessly up at Sirius. In the scene that followed, there was quite a scuffle of arms, legs, furniture (Aunt Petunia tried to throw a tall lamp at Sirius but missed and whacked Dudley instead. Dudley, quite angry about this, whipped out the smelting stick from behind his back and proceeded to give Harry a good wollup but missed and struck his father clean on the shins.) After much wailing and yelling(mostly by Hedwig, shrieking in her cage), and Harry being made stiff from the headlock that Uncle Vernon had him in, everything fell silent at once. Sirius, completely fed up with the absolute circus of it all, whipped out a wand and performed an instant stunning spell on all three Dursleys. They toppled over and fell asleep on the floor. He then flicked the wand, and everything in the room that had been flung about in the commotion, was restored to it's proper place. 

"You shoulda left it," Harry mumbled, rubbing his neck grumpily, "they'd deserve it for nosing around."

"Now Harry, you know we can't involve muggles in any of the business going on in our world," Sirius sighed. He pointed his wand at the sleeping Dursleys again and this time, performed a memory erasing spell, so they'd have no idea what went on when they woke. 

Harry shrugged and lifted his trunk over by the fireplace once again, and got ready to travel by floo powder. He was just about to take a pinch of the powder when a curious thought struck him. 

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed, "who's wand is that? Surely they didn't let you keep yours when you went to Azkaban!" Suddenly, Hagrid's pink umbrella flashed into to Harry's memory. He suspected that Hagrid kept the broken pieces of his old wand concealed inside the umbrella. But, Sirius was using a real wand, undisguised and everything!

Sirius glanced at it nervously and tried to look nonchalant. "Oh, right. Well, I was hoping I wouldn't have to use this." Harry stared at him strangely, very confused. Sirius smiled at Harry. "A friend let me borrow it, in case of an emergency. No big deal." 

Harry continued to stare, now more puzzled than ever. _But, it_ was _a big deal,_ he thought. He shrugged and realized that he probably wasn't going to get anymore out of Sirius about the wand for now. Harry reached into the pouch for the second time and tossed the powder into the glittering flames. 

Sirius was already gone, whipped away into the fire. Harry realized in alarm that he didn't know where to go! Sirius hadn't told him. Harry hesitated nervously and hoped against hope that Sirius would come back. Then, with a sinking feeling, Harry realized that he was holding the rest of the floo power. Panic began to set in. 

Well, he couldn't stand in front of the fire any longer, he didn't know how much time one had with floo powder before it wears off. He clutched his trunk in one hand and an angry-looking Hedwig in the other and stepped into the emerald flames. Squeezing his eyes shut and doing the only thing he knew to do, Harry yelled into the fire. His choked-out words got lost in the breeze and soot and suddenly he was spinning very fast. 

Harry was about to be sick when he landed suddenly onto the hearth of his destination. Hedwig was shrieking with fear from their means of travel and his trunk was all battered and dirty. Harry rubbed his eyes and put his glasses back on (they had fallen down his face in the fire). He heard laughter and voices. 

"You made it Harry! I was a little worried when I realized I'd forgotten to tell you where to go." Sirius apologized. Then Harry, still sorting himself out on the floor, heard another voice, this one much softer and kind sounding--also a bit weary.

"Harry! It's so good to see you! It has been awhile, hasn't it?" Harry gasped and jerked his head up instantly at the sound of that voice. He looked deep into the speaker's soft eyes and gazed at his kind smile. Harry felt safer than he'd ever felt upon seeing this other person standing with Sirius, inside the now re-furbished shrieking shack. Yes, Remus Lupin had returned.


End file.
